Thoughts on Prosperity

By Judith Joyce

The saying Not
for love nor money is one Ive heard all my life. That phrase
is usually predicated by something like I wouldnt do that
for love nor money, implying that love and money are two of the
most important things in life and valued equally. While I hadnt
thought of it in those terms until recently, I have always shared those
beliefs. And, since my spiritual awakening in early 1988, I have been
looking at my belief structures around money and love and using numerous
rituals, affirmations and techniques, not to mention reading many of
the books written on each topic, to bring more of both into my life.

Id like to share some of the newer perspectives Ive discovered
recently around prosperity. These have been most enlightening to me
and hopefully will spark some new awareness for you.

Last fall,
I attended a weekend program that dealt with, among many other things,
giving new definitions to commonly known words, focusing on myself
and saying no to everyone and everything that doesnt nurture
or support me. After the first day of this program, I wrote in my journal
about how nurturing myself had always taken a back seat to everything
and everyone else in my life. I acknowledged a need to shift that belief.
I then quickly noted that my relationship to money also needed to shift.
Soon I realized that my lack of money flow was probably mirroring my
lack of energy flow around nurturing myself. Now this is not new stuff
for me, Ive been dancing around these ideas for many years and,
as usual the new framework that was being presented in the workshop
was shifting my perspectives.

When Im journaling, I frequently
ask my guides/Angels to talk with me and give me guidance.
When I asked for their insights on what I needed to do to change my
relationship to money, this was their reply:

You place
way too much importance on money  youve connected it to
your worth. You have it backwards. You are valuable, not money.
As soon as you believe that, all will change. Money is a tool for you
to use. Only you can make it valuable or important. Its the
way that energy flows on your planet. And, its been connected
to value  a means of exchange. Its only a means of exchange
and its represented by squares of paper. You need to give you
the importance, the value that you have been giving to money. Begin
to value yourself, your time, your connection to Spirit, your passion,
your heart and the money will follow. Money follows value  it
only has the value you give it and what youve given it is way
out of proportion and thats being reflected in your bank accounts.
Begin to fill the accounts in your Judith bank with food for your
soul, and watch your bank accounts flourish. They will flourish when
you do. Theres a direct correlation. Thats why writing,
dancing, meditating with the labyrinth  doing whatever you love
and what nurtures you is the key to opening new doors in your life.
Your joy, your perspectives, your inspiration are needed in the world.
Tell your story  the world needs to hear your story. Value your
thoughts & ideas  act on them and see where they lead 
theres the adventure.

As I was focused on new ways
to see the meanings of words, I next realized the judgement Ive
had around scarcity, so I began to look for its gift. Without scarcity
there can be no abundance  its the other side of the coin.
It helps set a boundary on over spending or over acquiring. I realized
a long time ago that I become my most creative when Ive had the
least money. So scarcity feeds my creativity when Im not blocked
by fear. Lack can also be seen as the void  the emptiness from
which all possibilities come - when theres no emotion attached
to it. Ive seen it as a black hole that I would disappear into
 losing myself, and yet, it could be a place to lose my ego.
Scarcity is very humbling and, as my humility increases, I am stripped
of all pretenses. It clears the decks  makes room for peace,
serenity, and simplicity.

Lack can also mean lack of distraction
and lack of outside influences so I can hear myself think, find my
center  my heart, my purpose, my direction. Scarcity also helps
me focus while making me more conscious of my choices and needs. When
I have lots of money I go unconscious and my compulsion to accumulate
things is triggered. Its the emotional charge around it thats
given scarcity a bad rap. Our society has placed such a high value
on the abundance of things to the detriment of the abundance
of natural resources  what we have instead of who we are. What
we value is all screwed up, hence my disjointed, misplaced, value of
money vs. myself. Developing a list of what I value from an internal
perspective gives a whole new look to this issue. My values list includes:

Judith Joyce founded Spirit Matters
to support people, organizations and communities in realizing their
visions. She is Vice President of the Labyrinth Society, a Labyrinth
Consultant and Educator, workshop and seminar leader, speaker, dowser
and Reiki Practitioner. She can be reached at 802-496-9237; e-mail:
jmjoyce@spirit-matters.com.